


Gifts of the Magi

by filthybonnet



Category: Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera & Related Fandoms, Le Fantôme de l'Opéra | Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux, Phantom of the Opera - Lloyd Webber
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:28:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24223570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/filthybonnet/pseuds/filthybonnet
Summary: Christine Daae has been invited to Raoul's Christmas ball. However she has other Christmas plans for her Angel of Music and he has a surprise for her.
Relationships: Christine Daaé/Erik | Phantom of the Opera, Raoul de Chagny/Christine Daaé
Comments: 2
Kudos: 45





	Gifts of the Magi

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally written for a Phantom of the Opera Fan Fic/Fan Art Christmas Advent Calendar on Tumblr for 2018. Going through my files I realized I had never posted it here or FF.net

Mlle Daae unlocked the door to her dressing room and entered before closing it behind her. She sat her bags on the chaise lounge and looked around. _I know I only left one lamp on._ The room felt different, comfortable for such a brisk December day. Christine walked over to her stove heater and opened the door. Sure enough inside was more wood causing a bright fire. She closed the door and smiled. _He was here._

Christine walked over to her bags and from a simple brown shopping bag she removed a small sprig of mistletoe. A mischievous grin spread wide over her rosy cheeks as she pushed the ottoman in front of the full-length mirror. Still in her coat, gloves and red scarf she stepped up on and hung the greenery on the nail she nicely asked one of the stagehands to hang. She stepped down and observed her work as she took off her gloves and stuffed them into her coat pockets. She removed her coat and hung it on a coat peg just as there was a knock at the door.

“Come in,” she called.

“Christine!” Raoul exclaimed. “Tis the season for celebration!” He walked up to her and lifted the red scarf up off of her and smiled, “Still keeping you warm all these years later, Little Lotte. I am here now though.” He pulled her into an embrace.

After a few seconds Christine pushed him away, “Raoul, please. I still have so much to do before rehearsal this afternoon.”

“Ah yes, _Per la festività del Santo Natale_. I cannot wait to see you as Devine Love. But before, I have a Christmas gift,” He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a little box. He handed it to her.

Christine opened it with trembling hands. Inside was a white gold necklace with a beautiful white gold pendant with an oval sapphire surrounded by small diamonds. She gasped, “Raoul, I cannot accept this!”

“Yes, you can. I want you to wear to when you come with me to my brother’s Christmas ball. Do you want to try it on now?”

“No, no, it’ll ruin the surprise,” Mlle Daae closed the box, walked over to her vanity and sat it down. She unwrapped the scarf from around her neck and sat it on the vanity as well.

“Christine, you have hung your mistletoe incorrectly,” Raoul placed his hands on his sides and looked up above the mirror. “You will never be kissed with it hanging so. It goes in your doorway so I may kiss you upon every entrance!”

She turned around, her skirts rustling, “Oh no, Raoul!” She paused and collected herself, “If I put it there, then everyone will have to kiss me. You would not want to share me with the world, would you?”

Raoul cheeks turned red as he walked up to Christine and held onto her upper arms, “No, no not at all! It is horrible enough I have to deal with talk of your Angel of Music!”

Christine pulled herself away from him, “You said you wouldn’t talk of him like that!”

“Oh, Christine I am sorry, forgive me! I just despise the idea of having to share you, especially now at Christmas time! I want you all to myself, my personal Christmas gift.”

Christine sighed, “Raoul, you are being ridiculous! I am no one’s gift. If this is how you are going to think of me you can take your necklace and leave.” She picked the little jewelry box back up and pushed it back into his hands. “Good day, sir!” She sat down on the vanity chair facing away from him.

Tears formed the Count’s eyes as he turned around. He dropped the box on the chaise lounge, “I hope you change your mind.”

As soon as the door closed Christine put her head in her hands and let out a sob.

“Do not cry, My Angel,” A voice whispered from behind the mirror. “He is not worth the trouble.”

“Erik, have you been there the whole time?” She sat up straight.

“I came in half way through the conversation,” The mirror opened and The Phantom of the Opera stepped into the dressing room. “You do not intend to go to this Christmas Ball do you?” He placed his lanky fingers on her shoulders.

“Of course not,” Christine looked into her vanity mirror and at Erik’s reflection. “I have other plans. I have planned a Christmas dinner with Mother and all I have left is to extend the invitations.”

“Who are you planning to invite?”

Christine took a deep breath and stood. She took his hands into hers, “You, Erik.”

The soprano watched his golden eyes grow wide behind his mask, his knees began to shake, “Christine…I…I can’t.”

She tightened her grip on his cold hands, “Why not? She wants to meet my Angel of Music. She believes Christmas the perfect time.”

“You know exactly why I cannot!” He pulled away from her touch and sat down on the chaise lounge. “I do not belong in your world! She wants to see an angel not a monstrous man!”

Christine walked over to Erik and took his head to her chest. She ran her fingers through his thin hair and gently caressed his scalp, “She will not care. She wants to meet the man who gave me my voice, the man who won my love, the man who gave me this.” She removed her left hand from his head and held it in front of his eyes so he could see the ring he had placed on her finger. She then tilted his up to look at her, “If I am to be your wife, Erik she wants to know I am safe, that I will be taken care of.”

“Oh, but Erik will take care of his Angel,” The Opera Ghost wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her between his legs and closer to his body. “Erik is going to give Christine the world!”

“But Mother does not know that. Erik, please.”

There was a sudden knock at the dressing room door, “Christine we’re going to start warm ups early!”

“Having you at dinner would be the greatest Christmas gift ever,” she leaned over and kissed Erik gently. “Please consider it.” And with this Mlle Daae disappeared from her dressing room.

 _Dinner with Christine’s family? Dinner out in the world where I do not belong?_ Erik turned and saw the little jewelry box sitting on the other side of the chaise lounge. He picked it up and his lanky fingers opened it. He tilted the box back and forth, the sapphire sparkling in the light. _Sapphire: the stone of the pledge of love, the stone of new love. Foolish boy!_ He snapped the box shut.

*******

Mme Valerius and Mlle Daae lost track of how many times they bumped into each other as they moved around their small kitchen.

“You are sure he is going to come?” Mme Valerius stirred the broth in the pot roast.

“Yes. I turned down the Christmas Ball just for this. This Christmas dinner is what I wanted, Mother,” Christine opened the oven door with her apron and looked at the baking bread.

“Are you sure? The Vicomte always comes by to visit. Your Angel lives in caverns and refuses to visit anyone.”

Christine slammed the heavy oven door shut, “Mother, he has lived his life in the shadows because he is a deformed man! He has never known kindness and love. It was easier for him to hide away than face ridicule. Even I who love him am not complexly comfortable with him without his mask yet. It is taking all his courage to do this for me.” She stirred the cooking carrots. “Please do not stare tonight and please accept that I will keep the lights low.”

*******

The small table had an immaculate setting: Mme Valerius pulled down her fine china and Mlle Daae made a lovely center piece of holly, mistletoe and Spruce inside a vase. Both women sat silent in their best dresses anxiously awaiting a knock on the front door. Christine released a breath she did not realize she was holding when that knock came. Mme Valerius smiled as she watched the young woman practically jump from her chair and skip to the front door.

There Erik stood tall, in a crisp fresh suit, wrapped in cape with some snowflakes on the shoulders, his mask looked freshly polished and upon taking his top hat off there was a well combed black wig.

“Oh Erik,” Christine sighed as she smiled. “Merry Christmas.” She took his top hat from him and closed the door behind him. “You look so very handsome tonight…please do not take that the wrong way.”

“My Christine, who has shown me her soul, who has come to love the man behind the monster behind the mask. I shall forgive you the trespass of enjoying what Erik would look like with hair, especially when she is as beautiful as she is tonight.” He took her chin into his gloved hand and tilted it up towards his face.

She jumped up on tip toe so her lips could meet his. He was so cold but after a few seconds she could feel her warmth transferring to him as their kiss became more passionate. Erik heard the rustle of skirts and pulled away, knowing Mme Valerius had caught them. _What an awful first impression!_

Despite the blush on her face, Christine smiled and pointed above the doorway, “Mistletoe. I had to, Mother.” She then took Erik’s gloved hand into her and walked him over, “Mother, I would like you to meet my Angel of Music, Erik.”

Erik bowed, “It is a pleasure to meet you, Mme Valerius. Thank you for having me this Christmas evening.” Once he stood back up, his other arm appeared out from under the cape holding a bottle of wine, “I hope it pairs with dinner.”

Mme Valerius focused her attention on the bottle of wine, “Christine, take that into the dining room. We will be in shortly.”

“Yes, Mother.” Christine took the bottle from Erik and gave him back his hat before disappearing into the other room.

Erik shifted his gloved fingers around the brim of his hat, “Christine gave you a warning about my deformities?”

“She did. God gave Christine the gift to see the beauty in all his creatures,” Mme Valerius finally looked up at Erik’s mask. “There must be a reason you were sent as her Angel of Music. Let me take your outerwear.”

Erik hesitated for a second before removing his gloves and putting them into his hat. He watched Mme’s eyes as she watched the graceful movements of the hand’s pale, almost transparent taught skin over its bony fingers. Even in the low light he saw the discomfort wash over her face. “Let me have my gloves back…”

“No, no. If Christine has seen your face, I can see your hands. Now let me have your cape.”

Erik handed her his cape and she hung everything up on the coat rack by the door. He watched her movements his heart pounding anxiously. The Opera Ghost knew getting this woman’s blessing was just as important as getting a father’s approval.

“My intentions with your daughter are pure,” the words fell out of his mouth. “I have lived a difficult and lonely life, Mme Valerius. All I have ever wanted was what was denied me: normalcy; a woman who loves me for me who I am and I can call her my wife. Then we can have a family, a home.”

“What about what Christine wants, M. Erik?” She replied. The elder lady crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Miss Daae dedicated her life to music and now that she finally has her moment in the sun do you expect her to give it up?”

Erik chuckled, “Are you really asking Christine’s Angel of Music if you think he’s going to request her to give up her career? A career he helped her build. Heavens no! My Christine must continue to sing for all of Paris!”

She smiled as she uncrossed her arms and walked passed him, “Come, we do not want dinner getting cold.”

The thin, tall man followed her into the dining room where Mlle Daae was anxiously rubbing her hands together. She had already opened the wine and poured it into glasses on top of filling each plate with food. She smiled, “Who wants to say Grace?”

*******

Erik soon found himself more comfortable than he expected in the little house. The herbs in the stew danced on his tongue, the wine soothed his nerves, Christine held his hand under the table as Mme Valerius relayed a story of Mlle Daae’s youth. Erik laughed and she squeezed his hand in return.

“So you have never celebrated Christmas, M. Erik?” The old lady asked him.

Erik looked down at the table, “I have watched the seasonal operas from my box. I have watched others celebrate from afar, but having been abandoned by my family when I was young…” There were tears on the edges of his eyes.

“Perhaps we should move to the parlor and exchange gifts,” Christine stated. “We are your family now, Erik and you will celebrate the joy.”

Before they could stand, there was a knock at the door.

The elder lady removed her napkin from her lap and stood, “Top our glasses off, Christine, I will go see what that is about. Maybe we have carolers.”

Erik picked up the bottle of wine instead and poured into Christine’s glass, Valerius’ and then his. “Perhaps I should have brought more than one bottle?”

“It is okay, Erik. We have a couple bottles, though not as fine as this,” She arched her eyebrows as she lifted her cup and took a sip.

“Thank you for this, my Christine,” The Phantom lifted his hand up and brushed her cheek. His voice choked up, “This…this is all I have ever wanted…and…”

The moment was interrupted by the voices from the parlor.

“Vicomte! What could bring you out here on Christmas! Shouldn’t you be with your family?”

“I am here for Christine. Is she ready?”

“Ready for what, M. de Chagny?” The older lady closed the door to keep the cold out.

“The Christmas Ball, she informed you didn’t she?”

Mme Valerius sighed then she thought quick, “I am so sorry, sir did you not get the message? Christine is ill! She cannot make it tonight.”

“Oh Christine!” Raoul exclaimed. “Is she okay? Forget the ball! Let me see her at once!” He started heading towards the stairs.

“No!” Mme Valerius screamed.

Raoul turned around his eyes wide.

“No! The Doctor is with her and he said no visitors.”

The young man looked over her shoulder and saw the cape and top hat on the coat rack. _There really was a doctor._ He walked back to the door, “Please give Christine my love for a swift recovery. May I return later to visit?”

Mme Valerius nodded as she opened the door and saw Raoul out. She watched out the window until his carriage was out of her vision. She returned to the dining room where Christine and Erik both stood. Christine had both her hand wrapped around one of Erik’s thin arms as if to hold him back.

“Jesus forgive me lying on your birthday,” The old lady made the sign of the cross. “Christine, you cannot keep giving M. de Chagny hope if you love M. Erik and are to marry him.”

“Mother I do not!” Christine exclaimed. “You know how impossible he is!”

“Christine, I cannot handle much more of this…”

Erik saw his first Christmas celebration unraveling before his eyes. All over that damned boy!

“We can solve this now. Marry me tonight, Christine.” He heard the shake in his voice but said it anyway.

Christine looked at the ring on her finger as she held Erik’s arm. She then looked up at him. Could she really object?

“Tonight?” Mme Valerius gasped. “M. Erik not on the day of the Savior’s Birth!”

Erik nodded, “Tomorrow?”

“If that is so, come,” Christine took Erik’s hand and led him to the parlor. She guided him to an old chair that was next to a small Christmas tree that was next to banister. The only light in the room was the fireplace. He followed Christine’s wishes and sat in the chair. Branches and ornaments rustled as Christine bent under the tree and removed a small box. She stayed knelt in front of the tree and looked up at The Phantom; her eye’s sparkling, “Merry Christmas, My Angel.”

“Christine…” His shaking fingers wrapped around the box.

“Open it. If we are to wed tomorrow, I want you wearing them.”

He lifted the lid and inside was a pair of gold cufflinks with an onyx stone, “Christine, no.” He closed the box. “I do not want you spending what little money you have on me. I need nothing but you.”

She stood, smoothed her dress and reopened the box, “They were my father’s. One of the few fine things he owned outside of his violin. I never sold them, no matter how desperate I was for the money. My father promised me an Angel of Music when he died; well he turned out to only be a man. A man who can wear these.”

Tears ran down past where the mask covered his face. He closed the box and stuffed it into one of his coat pockets. He removed another little box from the other side of his coat, “And you will wear these tomorrow, My Christine.”

The soprano took the box and opened it. Inside were two beautiful gold combs adorned with pearls.

“I saw the necklace the Vicomte gave you and wanted you to wear tonight at his ball. Ostentatious and not you. These are you, my Christine.” He got out of the chair and walked over to Mme Valerius who stood in the threshold between the parlor and dining room, “I have a friend who I can get to bear witness tomorrow, but it would mean everything to Christine and I if would also be there to witness, Mme Valerius. Will you join us?”

Christine walked up and took the took the old lady’s hands into her, “Please, mother?”

The old lady nodded and smiled, “Yes. If it will make you happy and put an end to M. de Chagny’s nonsense.”

Mlle Daae squealed in excitement as she pulled her mother into a hug. “Thank you, thank you.” When she pulled away, she turned and pulled Erik into a tight embrace, “So tomorrow evening?”

“Yes, yes. Tomorrow night you will be my wife!” He bent down letting his lips passionately meet hers. Christine opened her mouth, making the kiss deeper, nipping at his bottom lip. Erik leaned into it, his soon to be Mother-in-law would just have to look away. Christmas was finally wonderful.


End file.
